The War Illustrated

The Lights of London Town - 1940 Pattern

This remarkable photograph was taken from the roof of a high building in Fleet Street during one of the night raids over London towards the end of August. The exposure lasted 90 minutes. The searchlight has just caught a Nazi bomber, while the diagonal streak is the light from a parachute flare. In the upper part of the photograph anti-aircraft shells are bursting. The streaks of light across the photograph are caused by the movements of the stars during the long exposure. Photo, Associated Press.